This Abandoned Utah High School Was Once A Utah Icon – But It Will Soon Be Gone

Granite High school opened its doors to students in South Salt Lake in 1907, and was a vibrant part of the community for more than 100 years. Sadly, the school closed its doors forever in 2009, and has remained vacant ever since.

While developers and politicians fought over this piece of property on the corner of 500 E 3300 S., alumni and local residents have waged their own war to keep the school from being demolished. Despite their best efforts, Granite High School is in the process of demolition now…and will soon be gone forever.

Granite High School once played a vital role in this tight-knit community.

Local residents attended football games, cheered for the baseball, basketball and swim teams, and supported Granite High's academic pursuits. The high school not only provided an education for students...it was a gathering place for the community to come together and celebrate achievements.

In 2009, the Granite School District Board voted to close Granite High School, citing budget cuts.

Catherine Armstrong

Students, alumni and local residents were devastated, but the district insisted that it could no longer justify the $1.3 million operating costs.

Originally, (then) Salt Lake City Mayor Pete Corroon and the city of South Salt Lake intended to purchase the property and use at least part of it for a community center.

Catherine Armstrong

But that never happened, and over the next eight years developers fought for a piece of the (lucrative) pie. All the while, Granite High School sat vacant - a magnet for vandalism and crime.

In January, 2017, Garbett Homes received approval to build 76 residential homes on 16 of the 27 acres where Granite High currently stands.

Catherine Armstrong

The remaining 11 acres has been a matter of debate ever since. Most recently, re-zoning of the property from residential to commercial was denied. It's unclear what the developer will do with that portion of the property.

Demolition began in April. Granite School District removed many nostalgic and historic items from the interior.

Catherine Armstrong

This photo, which was taken on June 18th, shows the pool and shop buildings. The pool building was mostly demolished last week, on June 21st, with just a partial shell left for this week's crew. The shop building (shown in this photo just north of the pool building) is already leveled.

The few remaining bits of the baseball field were taken down, and the fence surrounding the back portion of the property has already been removed.

Catherine Armstrong

Demolition of the bleachers on the football field was one of the first structural projects.

Every day, the school is closer to being gone forever.

Catherine Armstrong

In this portion of the school, windows were removed last week.

Fencing still surrounds the main school buildings. While those who have many memories of this place would love to visit one last time, it's not safe to get too close, as demolition crews are actively working throughout the day.

Catherine Armstrong

Security patrols the area, and it's illegal to climb the fence.

The demolition crew will save bricks from the main buildings. Residents will be allowed to take them as mementos, once crews place them in piles outside the fence, in a safe area.

Catherine Armstrong

One way to stay updated about the happenings at Granite High is to check in on the Granite High School Alumni Facebook page.

Soon, Granite High School will exist only in the memories of those in the community who attended, taught at, and supported the school during its 102 years.

Catherine Armstrong

Goodbye, Granite High School. It was a good run.

I didn’t attend Granite High School, but I have memories of my high school’s football team suffering an embarrassing loss to the Granite Farmers on the field there. Do you have memories of Granite High? Share your memories and photos with us in the comments.

Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.